Education

B.S., Texas Woman's University

M.A., Texas State University

Contact Information

512-475-9701
vwestbrook@mail.utexas.edu

Vanessa Westbrook

Senior Program Coordinator

Vanessa Westbrook serves as the science education team leader at the Charles A. Dana Center.

Prior to joining the Dana Center in 1996, Westbrook taught public school in north Texas. Her main focus was elementary science education. She was also involved in delivering professional development to elementary and middle school educators in formal and informal settings in Texas, aligning science curriculum for school districts, and coordinating districtwide elementary science fairs. Westbrook has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of educational settings.

In her role as the science content specialist, she develops, edits, and reviews elementary science assessment items; creates standards-based lessons for kindergarten to grade 5 science instruction; and collaborates on the development and implementation of the K-8 science activities and professional development protocols used with the Partnership for High Achievement work.

Vanessa Westbrook is currently the National Science Teachers Association Division Director for Multicultural/Equity in Science Education and the Texas State Coordinator for the Building a Presence for Science national program. She was the 2004-2005 President of the Science Teachers Association of Texas and the 1998-2000 President of Texas Council of Elementary Science (TCES). Since 2007, she has served as the TCES Treasurer. Westbrook is the co-founder of the Texas Informal Science Education Association and serves as the organization's Senior Advisor. She serves on numerous state and national advisory boards that focus on elementary science education, informal science education, teacher certification in science, and increasing minority representation in science careers and science teaching.

As a lecturer and speaker, Westbrook has participated in science education seminars, conferences, and workshops in many cities throughout North America and Europe.

Selected Publications

Vanessa Westbrook and Phyllis Kirkpatrick. (2007). Elementary science core units: TEKS-based activities in earth science, physical properties, and force and motion. Austin: Charles A. Dana Center.

Vanessa Westbrook. (2007). Understanding elementary science assessment: Resources for grades 3-5. Austin: Charles A. Dana Center.

Vanessa Westbrook. (2001). My changing view of field trips. In Phyllis Katz (Ed.), Community connections for science education: History and theory you can use. Washington, DC: National Science Teachers Association.

Vanessa Westbrook and Charlie Walter. (2001). Supporting systemic school science education reform in partnership with free-choice science learning: A Texas case study. In J. H. Falk, Elizabeth Donovan, and Rosalie Woods (Eds.), Free-choice science education: How we learn science outside of school. New York: Teachers College Press.

Vanessa Westbrook and Christian Youker. (2001). Profiles of informal science education providers: Connecting to Texas schools. Austin: Charles A. Dana Center.